Henrik Sedin celebrates with Daniel Sedin and Ryan Kesler of the Vancouver Canucks after scoring a power play goal against the Montreal Canadiens during the second period in NHL action on February 22, 2011 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.Rich Lam
/ Getty Images

Henrik Sedin #33 of the Vancouver Canucks warms up prior to facing the Colorado Avalanche at the Pepsi Center on February 4, 2012 in Denver, Colorado. The Canucks defeated the Avalanche 3-2 in an overtime shoot out.Doug Pensinger
/ Getty Images

Henrik Sedin #33 and Daniel Sedin #22 of the Vancouver Canucks skate to the bench during their NHL game against the Dallas Stars at Rogers Arena March 6, 2012 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Dallas won 5-2.Jeff Vinnick
/ NHLI via Getty Images

You can't blame Henrik Sedin for not wanting to be split up from his telepathic twin Daniel.Who wouldn't want a linemate you've not only played with your entire life, but someone you lived with for most of that time?They can't really read each other's minds, it just seems that way.But we've had a few opportunities now to watch Hank play without Danny at his side and the results are impressive.It forces the Canucks captain to become more creative and, dare we say it, more patient.Instead of those little chip-shot give-and-goes that dazzle and entertain but often end in futility, Henrik is carrying the puck through the neutral zone, gaining the offensive zone through deft stick-handling and that superb vision of his, and then holding onto the puck to set up, or even more amazing, creating chances off the rush with Max Lapierre.“I'm trying to beat guys, I'm feeling strong and I'm holding onto the puck,” Sedin told reporters after Saturday night's overtime win over Calgary.He had two assists and would have had three had not Henrik Karlsson made a spectacular save on Dan Hamuis's redirect of Henrik's pass in overtime.Add that to the three helpers he got on Friday night against Dallas.Without Daniel, Henrik has eight assists and is plus-6 in the six games since Duncan Keith played Whack-A-Mole with Daniel's head.In the 14 games up to and including that game at Chicago, Henrik was 0-6-6 and minus-8.He'll downplay it, chalk it up to the vagaries of an NHL schedule and production that even when he won the scoring race two years ago went up and down over the course of a season.There might be a bit to that.But there's no doubt playing without Daniel makes Henrik think the game differently.Now if he would only shoot more, like that long slapshot he tried Saturday night (it didn't get through, but at least it gives opponents one more thing to think about instead of playing him pass-only).Look, it's hard to argue with a guy who won the Art Ross and the Hart, who captained a team to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final.He may be the best backhand saucer-disher in the league. He's statistically its best passer.He had, heading into Sunday's games, the best plus-minus among the NHL's top 10 scorers.And he certainly makes those around him better, like all the great players do.Just ask Lapierre.But if he shot a little more often, it might have made the difference in two or three of those one-goal games over the course of the season that mean a lot in the chase for the President's trophy.We're not asking the impossible: Henrik scores on 12 per cent of his shots. That's better than other playmakers such as Claude Giroux (11.6 per cent) and Joe Thornton (10.8 per cent).But with 108 shots taken, Henrik is well behind Giroux's 223 and Thornton's 148.If Henrik takes 40 more shots over the course of the season, just to match Thornton's total (which also happens to be his historical average over the past five seasons) he's looking at an extra four or five goals.As it is, he'll need a five-shot explosion over the final three games just to match the lowest number of shots he's taken since the lockout, 113 in 2005-06.These next three games without Daniel are a great time for Henrik to think shoot-first and get some confidence back that he, too, can put the puck in the net.twitter.com/gmacsports

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